This invention relates to a flow control device for uniforming a liquid flow and to a liquid flow controlling method. The present invention also pertains to a reactor using such a control device.
A flow control device such as a porous plate, a perforated plate, a chimney-type distributing plate or a bubble cap-type distributing plate is generally disposed within a vertically extending pipe for the purpose of uniformly radially (horizontal direction normal to the axis of the pipe) distributing a liquid flowing down therethrough. While the known flow control device can uniformly horizontally distribute the liquid flow, the use thereof is ineffective for homogeneously mixing the liquid. Thus, when the liquid flow is formed from streams having different concentrations, different temperatures or different compositions, the liquid flow controlled upon passage of the control device still remains non-uniform in its quality. For example, when the fluid flow is a gas-containing liquid, the known control device cannot effect homogeneous gas-liquid contact so that the absorbed gas/liquid ratio of the liquid flow discharged therefrom still varies in the horizontal direction. Similarly, the fluid flow composed of a high temperature liquid and a quenching gas injected thereinto still varies in temperature in the horizontal direction even upon the passage of the known control device.
Japanese patent publication JP-B-42-24284 proposes a device including a plate adapted to receive a liquid flow and having a center portion provided with two openings, and a hollow box connected to the lower side of the plate to collect the liquid introduced through the openings and having a bottom portion provided with two outlets. With this device, the liquid flow is received on the plate, then introduced into and collected in the box and then discharged from the outlets. Since the liquid is subjected to a mixing operation during its passage in the box, the liquid discharged from the outlets has an improved homogeneity. However, the mixing efficiency is not fully satisfactory. Moreover, the dynamic energy of the liquid entering and flowing in the box causes vibration of the box so that breakage of the box is caused unless a well reinforced structure is used for therefor.